The Agriculture Transportation Coalition, the principal voice of agriculture exporters in US transportation policy, held their 37^th Annual Meeting in Tacoma last month.  The largest annual gathering of Ag shippers sourcing and delivering to foreign markets, the Annual Meeting had a record setting attendance of over 600 participants.  Held at the Tacoma Convention Center from June 16-19^th, the AgTC Annual meeting was filled with networking dinners and receptions, vital industry presentations, and activities like a Climb Container Crane at Husky Marine Terminal and Wine & Spirits Run Walk.  The event culminated with a member-only closing session.

Held in Tacoma since 2018, the AgTC moved the event from Long Beach recognizing the Pierce County area as a Key Gateway, with many Washington State members and that Pierce County was also financially advantageous.  According to Steve Balaski, Director of Business Development for Northwest Seaport, “through our partnership with AgTC over the last eight years we have given them staff time and energy to make sure their attendees had a good experience.”  Assisting in finding venues, working with hotels and the convention center and ensuring the organization felt wanted has secured Tacoma as the home for this national organization to meet year after year.

There are several economic factors that make the Annual Meeting important to Tacoma including Direct Business Sales of $316,626.11 and Indirect Sales of $130,271.76.  Additionally, the event generated $15,282.60 in local sales tax and filled 778 hotel nights.  But possibly even more important is the exposure that the Port of Tacoma and other industry businesses and leaders receive when 600 attendees converge in Pierce County.  “By having the shippers in town, we can interact with shipping leadership from around the country and around the world producing solid business opportunities.  Through facility tours we uncover new shippers who can see firsthand the benefits of using our gateway,” said Balaski.

The AgTC Annual Meeting provides an educational forum for members to talk about issues and for the industry to come to a consensus about ways to improve. Through thoughtful communication, members can learn from each other and take advantage of each other’s best practices.